1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to barricades used as warning apparatus, and particularly to those of the type that present laterally oriented crossbars bearing warning indicia. More particularly the invention relates to collapsible apparatus designed to improve its storage and repair capabilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior barricades of the type which present lateral crossbars are of the "A" frame design or "L" frame design with the crossbar(s) rigidly affixed to the frames. Because of the nature of the construction of these barricades, multiple sizes must be inventoried to accommodate the variety of uses encountered and to replace damaged barricades; and this inventory requires substantial storage space.
Barricades generally sustain regular damage due to their location proximate moving traffic, and they are easily damaged beyond repair when struck by vehicles. As a result, recent innovations have been directed to improving their crash worthiness. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,695, a signboard style barricade is mounted to its base via breakaway shear pins. In the event of impact, the supporting legs easily collapse. More recently in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,258, another collapsible structure is provided but with a locking mechanism designed to hold it down after the collision.